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See for example Deshung Rinpoche 2003 and Kilty 2010. Four verses taken directly from Kumārajīva’s translation have also been incorporated into a Chan text dating from the fifth century (Greene 2012, 582).
In his article on the Vyākhyāyukti, Peter Verhagen cites Vasubandhu to the effect that a “Pūrṇasūtra” was lost or at least incompletely transmitted by his time (Verhagen 2005, 590). Peter Skilling lists The Questions of Pūrṇa in a series of discourses mentioning tathāgata caityas (Skilling 2016, p.31). Ulrich Pagel mentions the sūtra in a few lists in two articles, once in a list of texts that include mention of dhāraṇī (Pagel 2007, 164, 167) and another time in a list of texts that give a sixfold typology of “skill” (Pagel 2012, 337).
The few minor differences between them can be easily explained by the separate transmission histories of each text. Less likely, the similarity could theoretically also be due to both translations having relied on a nearly identical Sanskrit source text.
The Denkarma and Phangthangma catalogs both have separate sections for texts translated from Chinese, but that potential distinguishing feature seems to have been overridden as a classification for this text by its belonging to the section of works included in the The Heap of Jewels collection.
Those mentioned in the Kangyur include: (1) Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, the interlocutor in the present text; he is mentioned in many sūtras including The Teaching of Vimalakīrti (Toh 176); (2) the Pūrṇa who was one of the second group of five monks ordained by the Buddha, the “five friends” (nye lnga sde), all Vārāṇasī merchants’ sons, headed by Yaśas; (3) the Pūrṇa of The Exemplary Tale of Pūrṇa (Pūrṇāvadāna, found in Tibetan in The Chapter on Medicines, ch. 6 of the Vinayavastu, Toh 1), son of a wealthy Aparāntaka merchant and his slave girl, a successful maritime expedition leader before going forth as a monk, and almost certainly also the protagonist in The Precious Discourse on the Blessed One’s Extensive Wisdom That Leads to Infinite Certainty (Toh 99); (4) an older Pūrṇa, the “Elder Pūrṇa from Kuṇḍopadāna,” who is also mentioned in The Exemplary Tale of Pūrṇa as one of the monks in the Buddha’s airborne entourage; (5) a very rich and generous brahmin called Pūrṇa from the Mountains of the South who invites the Buddha and receives a prediction of enlightenment, but is not ordained; he is the subject of the first story in The Hundred Exemplary Tales, Beginning with That of Pūrṇa (Pūrṇapramukhāvadānaśataka, Toh 343); and (6) the sickly and short-lived Pūrṇa of Śrāvasti, attendant of Aniruddha, who became an arhat just before he died and is the subject of one of the stories in the first chapter of The Hundred Deeds (Karmaśataka, Toh 340).
Here we have emended the Tibetan ’jigs pa (“fear”) to ’jig pa (“perish,” “decay”) to reflect the Chinese translation: 具足不壞信 (“Filled with incorruptible faith”).
Here, we have preferred the Narthang, Kangxi, Yongle, Lhasa, and Stok Palace editions: rtog. Degé reads: rtogs.
A related metaphor appears in the Narthang edition: de phyir mang thos btsal bar bya/ btsal nas chu bzhin gnas bya ste/ chos dbyings sangs rgyas rjes dran na/ mang du thos pa de las skye. (“Therefore, one should pursue erudition and then remain like water. When one recollects the expanse of phenomena and the Buddha, erudition is born from that.”)
Translated based on the Narthang, Kangxi, Yongle, and Lhasa editions (gzugs), and the Chinese translation (形色). Degé reads: gzungs.
The Chinese translation reads: 菩薩不隨言 知皆是虚誑 知諸法空故 但求於善語 (“Bodhisattvas do not follow the words;/ They know they are all deceptive./ But to understand that all phenomena are empty,/ They still pursue virtuous statements”).
Translated based on the Narthang, Kangxi, Yongle, Lithang, Choné, Lhasa, and Stok Palace editions (’jigs), and the Chinese translation (畏). Degé reads: ’jig.
Translated based on the Narthang, Kangxi, Lithang, Choné, and Stok Palace editions (’jigs), and the Chinese translation (畏). Degé reads: ’jig.
Translated based on the Narthang (nang zhes bya ba ni dngos po ’di gnyis ’du byed pa yang mi bden zhing slu bar byed pa yin) and Lhasa (nang zhes bya ba’i dngos po ’di gnyis ’du byed pa yang mi bden zhing slu bar byed pa yin) editions. Degé reads: nang zhes bya bas dngos po ’di gnyis ’du byed pa yang mi bden zhing slu bar byed pa yin (“since they are said to be inner, those two categories of phenomena are conditioned, untrue, and deceptive”). The Chinese translation reads: 内名爲二 。此事虚誑 (“Inner is said to be twofold. These things are false and deceptive”).
The word dharma (Tib. chos) in this text denotes and shifts between multiple interconnected senses, such as “phenomena,” “teachings,” “qualities,” “reality,” and “trainings on the path.”
Here we have emended mngon thob ’phags, as found in the different Tibetan editions, to mngon mtho ’phags, in accordance with the Chinese translation (轉高增).
We have been unable to identify the types of cloth mentioned in this list, apart from kāśīkā cloth, which is the name of fabric produced in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī). Perhaps the others are also names of fabrics from cities known for their production of fine fabrics.
Translated based on the Stok Palace edition (smra dka’) and the Chinese translation: 難與語 (“difficulty with words”). Degé reads: smra dga’ (“fond of talking”).
Here we have emended Degé’s lam log can (“following wrong paths”) to ma log can, in accordance with the Chinese translation: 無反復, (“not to return something”), since the general pattern throughout these verses is to have terms with similar meanings next to each other. Different variants for this line are found in the Tibetan editions: byas pa mi gzo lam log can (Degé, Choné), bya dka’ mi bzod le lo can (Stok Palace), byas pa mi gzo snyams log can (Lhasa), bya dga’ myi bzod leb log can (Yongle), byas pa mi bzod lam log can (Kangxi), and byas pa mi bzo lim log can (Narthang).
Here, we have preferred the Narthang, Kangxi, Yongle, Lhasa, and Chinese versions, all of which, unlike the Degé version, negate the verb “to cultivate.”
The Comparative Edition wrongly has smas pa here instead of smras pa, archaic for “wounded,” as it appears in the Degé edition.
Translated based on the Kangxi and Yongle editions (sems), and the Chinese translation (思). Degé reads: bzod (“patience”).
Translated based on the Kangxi (mi byed) and Yongle (myi byed) editions, and the Chinese translation (不作). Degé reads: bzod byed (“I will remain patient”).
Translated based on the Stok Palace edition (gal te ngan pas lan byas na) and the Chinese translation (若還以惡報). Degé reads: gal te ngan pa’i las byas na (“If I commit negative actions”).
Translated based on the Narthang, Kangxi, Yongle, and Lhasa editions: ’dod pa mang ba. Degé reads: ’dod pa med pa.
Here we have emended dga’ zhing (“joyfully”), as found in the different Tibetan editions, to ’ga’ zhig, in accordance with the Chinese translation (若有人: “if there were someone…”). The Tibetan could be the result of a two-stage scribal error: first, an accidental error transforming ’ga’ to dga’, based on the appearance of dga’ in the previous verse; then, a deliberate “correction” of zhig to zhing, to “make sense” of dga’.
Translated based on the Narthang and Lhasa editions (lha ’dre) and the Chinese translation (天神). Degé reads: lha klu (“gods and nāgas”). Most instances of lha ’dre in Tibetan Kangyur discourses appear in texts translated from Chinese.
Translated based on the Narthang, Kangxi, Yongle, Lithang, Choné, and Lhasa editions: yon tan ldan. Degé reads: yon tan bden.
Tibetan: g.yo dang mi g.yo sems can; Chinese: 動不動衆生. This most likely refers to beings in the desire realm (Skt. kāmadhātu) constantly “moving/shifting” throughout saṃsāra, and beings in the two higher realms of form (Skt. rūpadhātu) and formlessness (Skt. arūpadhātu) “unmoving/unshifting” throughout saṃsāra in the same manner, respectively. Cf. Soothill’s entry for the similar 動不動法: “The mutable and the immutable, the changing and the unchanging, the kāmadhātu or realms of metempsychosis and the two higher realms, rūpadhātu and arūpadhātu.”
The Chinese translation, as it appears in the Taishō, has this as a rhetorical question: (世尊以何思 何行擧下足: “With what intent or behavior/ Does the Blessed One lift and place down his feet?”).
These refer to the three divisions of time pertaining to the longevity of the Dharma on earth after the passing of the Buddha. During the first period, the Dharma is upheld properly; during the intermediate period, only a semblance of the Dharma remains; and during the final period, the Dharma declines until it vanishes.
This follows the Chinese 轉法輪經. The Tibetan Stok Palace version has chos kyi ’khor lo’i mdo sde, whereas the Degé version has the rather redundant chos kyi ’khor lo yongs su bskor ba’i ’khor lo. This title is probably a reference to the Dharmacakrapravartanasūtra (Toh 31) and/or the Dharmacakrasūtra (Toh 337), each of which contains what is considered the first teaching delivered by the Buddha.
The Tibetan only very partially reflects the Chinese here: 梨師山鹿園; literally: ṛṣi (梨師) mountain (山) deer (鹿) park (園).
The term nam mkha’i sa mtshams, the “edge of space” or “boundary of space,” is only found elsewhere in the Kangyur as an impossibility describing the tenth kind of acceptance (in chapter 35 of the Buddhavataṃsaka, Toh 44, Degé Kangyur vol. 36, F.383.b), and could conceivably be a reference to the ineffability of the Bodhisattva Collection, although that does not fit the syntax. It is also possible that “the edge of space” here is a reference to the sacred geography of Vārāṇasī, which is said to consist of an environment of five concentric rings associated with the elements (fire, water, wind, earth, and space). Since the Deer Park in Sarnath would be at the outer edge of that geographic map, it would hence be “at the edge of space.” The subsequent reference to Veṇuvana (near Rājagṛha) would then seem to imply that the term applies to everything outside of Vārāṇasī. Thanks to Paul Hackett for making this suggestion to us.
The four attitudes are not clearly listed in the text. However, based on the following accounts of the Buddha’s past lives as a bodhisattva, the four seem to be love, compassion, generosity, and patience.
As this passage seems corrupt in Tibetan (Degé reads: mod gal ngas ni ’di lta bu’i smon lam dang brtson ’grus chen po bskyed nas blo dang ldan pa ’di lta ste/ sangs rgyas dang/ de’i nyan thos dag la ’di ltar rigs pa’i tshul dri ba’i rgyu dang rkyen yod par gyur na sdug bsngal dang du blangs nas sems can rnams sems can dmyal ba las thar bar byed pas mod gal mkhas pa dag gis thos par gyur na nga’i mang du thos pa’i bsngags pa brjod), we have translated it based on the Chinese: 目連。 我發如是大願。精進諮問有智。所謂佛及弟子。可有如是道理因縁代受苦惱。令諸衆生出地獄不。目連。智者聞已。但爲我讃説多聞。.
Translated based on the Narthang, Kangxi, Yongle, and Stok Palace editions (lha ’dre) and the Chinese translation (天鬼神). Degé reads: lha klu (“gods and nāgas”).
Translated based on Stok Palace edition: nyes pa’i ’du shes skyed pa byed. Degé reads: nyes pa’i ’du shes skyed pa med (“He has not perceived me as an evil person”). The Chinese translation reads: 而不能使以我為親 (“However, I could not make him consider me a friend”).
The Chinese translation reads: 骨髓 (“marrow”). This might be related to what Devadatta cries as he is about to enter the Hell of Ceaseless Torment.
Translated based on the Stok Palace edition: ngas chos de thos nas/ sems rtse gcig tu ’khor rnams nyan thos dang rang sangs rgyas kyi ’bras bu yongs su gnyer ba la gzud pa’i phyir ’dun par gyur pa kho nar zad do. Degé reads: ngas chos de bstan pas nga’i ’khor rnams las sems rtse gcig tu nyan thos dang rang sangs rgyas kyi ’bras bu yongs su gnyer ba dag gzud pa’i phyir ’dun par gyur pa kho nar zad do (“By delivering this teaching, my only motivation has been to look after those among my retinue who one-pointedly pursue the fruition of the hearers and solitary buddhas”).
We are unsure what the twofold abode (Tibetan: gnas gnyis) refers to. It might perhaps refer to the form realm (Tibetan: gzugs kyi khams, Sanskrit: rūpadhātu) and the formless realm (Tibetan: gzugs med pa’i khams, Sanskrit: arūpadhātu).
Saṃsāra, in being nothing but afflicted; its opposite is “purification” (vyavadāna).
The fivefold basic grouping of the components out of which the world and the personal self are formed.
A major śrāvaka disciple and personal attendant of the Buddha Śākyamuni during the last twenty-five years of his life. He was a cousin of the Buddha (according to the Mahāvastu, he was a son of Śuklodana, one of the brothers of King Śuddhodana, which means he was a brother of Devadatta; other sources say he was a son of Amṛtodana, another brother of King Śuddhodana, which means he would have been a brother of Aniruddha).
Ānanda, having always been in the Buddha’s presence, is said to have memorized all the teachings he heard and is celebrated for having recited all the Buddha’s teachings by memory at the first council of the Buddhist saṅgha, thus preserving the teachings after the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa. The phrase “Thus did I hear at one time,” found at the beginning of the sūtras, usually stands for his recitation of the teachings. He became a patriarch after the passing of Mahākāśyapa.
One of the twelve branches of Buddhist scriptures.
An optional set of thirteen practices that monastics can adopt in order to cultivate greater detachment. They consist of 1) wearing patched robes made from discarded cloth rather than from cloth donated by laypeople; 2) wearing only three robes; 3) going for alms; 4) not omitting any house while on the alms round, rather than begging only at those houses known to provide good food; 5) eating only what can be eaten in one sitting; 6) eating only food received in the alms bowl, rather than more elaborate meals presented to the Saṅgha; 7) refusing more food after indicating one has eaten enough; 8) dwelling in the forest; 9) dwelling at the root of a tree; 10) dwelling in the open air, using only a tent made from one’s robes as shelter; 11) dwelling in a charnel ground; 12) satisfaction with whatever dwelling one has; and 13) sleeping in a sitting position without ever lying down.
The king of Magadha and a great patron of the Buddha. His birth coincided with the Buddha’s, and his father, King Mahāpadma, named him “Essence of Gold” after mistakenly attributing the brilliant light that marked the Buddha’s birth to the birth of his son by Queen Bimbī (“Goldie”). Accounts of Bimbisāra’s youth and life can be found in The Chapter on Going Forth (Toh 1-1, Pravrajyāvastu).
King Śreṇya Bimbisāra first met with the Buddha early on, when the latter was the wandering mendicant known as Gautama. Impressed by his conduct, Bimbisāra offered to take Gautama into his court, but Gautama refused, and Bimbisāra wished him success in his quest for awakening and asked him to visit his palace after he had achieved his goal. One account of this episode can be found in the sixteenth chapter of The Play in Full (Toh 95, Lalitavistara). There are other accounts where the two meet earlier on in childhood; several episodes can be found, for example, in The Hundred Deeds (Toh 340, Karmaśataka). Later, after the Buddha’s awakening, Bimbisāra became one of his most famous patrons and donated to the saṅgha the Bamboo Grove, Veṇuvana, at the outskirts of the capital of Magadha, Rājagṛha, where he built residences for the monks. Bimbisāra was imprisoned and killed by his own son, the prince Ajātaśatru, who, influenced by Devadatta, sought to usurp his father’s throne.
One of the twelve branches of Buddhist scriptures.
One of the eight hot hells.
A thus-gone one of the past.
A member of the Indian priestly caste.
One of the eight hot hells.
A prince living in the past at the time of the buddha Merugandha.
The forest, located outside of Vārāṇasī where the Buddha first taught the Dharma.
A cousin of Buddha Śākyamuni who broke with him and established his own community. His tradition was still continuing during the first millennium ᴄᴇ. He is portrayed as engendering evil schemes against the Buddha and even succeeding in wounding him. He is usually identified with wicked beings in accounts of previous lifetimes.
A formula invoking a particular deity for a particular purpose; dhāraṇīs are longer than most mantras, and their applications are more specialized.
One of the twelve branches of Buddhist scriptures.
Right view, intention, speech, actions, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration.
Eighteen special features of a buddha’s behavior, realization, activity, and wisdom that are not shared by other beings. They are generally listed as: (1) he never makes a mistake, (2) he is never boisterous, (3) he never forgets, (4) his concentration never falters, (5) he has no notion of distinctness, (6) his equanimity is not due to lack of consideration, (7) his motivation never falters, (8) his endeavor never fails, (9) his mindfulness never falters, (10) he never abandons his concentration, (11) his insight (prajñā) never decreases, (12) his liberation never fails, (13) all his physical actions are preceded and followed by wisdom (jñāna), (14) all his verbal actions are preceded and followed by wisdom, (15) all his mental actions are preceded and followed by wisdom, (16) his wisdom and vision perceive the past without attachment or hindrance, (17) his wisdom and vision perceive the future without attachment or hindrance, and (18) his wisdom and vision perceive the present without attachment or hindrance.
One way of describing experience and the world in terms of eighteen elements (eye and form, ear and sound, nose and odor, tongue and taste, body and touch, mind and mental objects, to which the six consciousnesses are added).
A monk. Interlocutor of the Buddha in the Questions of Pūrṇa sūtra.
Emptiness denotes the ultimate nature of reality, the total absence of inherent existence and self-identity with respect to all phenomena. According to this view, all things and events are devoid of any independent, intrinsic reality that constitutes their essence. Nothing can be said to exist independent of the complex network of factors that gives rise to its origination, nor are phenomena independent of the cognitive processes and mental constructs that make up the conventional framework within which their identity and existence are posited. When all levels of conceptualization dissolve and when all forms of dichotomizing tendencies are quelled through deliberate meditative deconstruction of conceptual elaborations, the ultimate nature of reality will finally become manifest. It is the first of the three gateways to liberation.
Name of a demon who lived in the past.
A thus-gone one of the past.
One of the twelve branches of Buddhist scriptures.
One of the eight hot hells.
Faith, mindfulness, diligence, concentration, and insight.
Divine sight, divine hearing, knowledge of the minds of others, remembrance of past lives, and ability to perform miracles. See “six higher perceptions,” the same list with the addition of “ability to destroy mental defilements,” which can only be attained by Buddhist practitioners.
Faith, mindfulness, diligence, concentration, and insight. Similar to the five faculties but differing in that they cannot be shaken by adverse conditions.
One of the twelve branches of Buddhist scriptures.
One of the twelve branches of Buddhist scriptures.
A fundamental practice of Buddhist meditation: the close application of mindfulness to the body, feelings, mind, and phenomena.
Determination, discernment, diligence, and concentration.
The four levels of concentration of beings residing in the form realm.
Fearlessness in declaring that one has (1) awakened, (2) ceased all illusions, (3) taught the obstacles to awakening, and (4) shown the way to liberation.
Four types of relinquishment consisting in abandoning existing negative mind states, abandoning the production of such states, giving rise to virtuous mind states that are not yet produced, and letting those states continue.
A thus-gone one of the past.
A class of generally benevolent nonhuman beings who inhabit the skies, sometimes said to inhabit fantastic cities in the clouds, and more specifically to dwell on the eastern slopes of Mount Meru, where they are ruled by the Great King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. They are most renowned as celestial musicians who serve the gods. In the Abhidharma, the term is also used to refer to the mental body assumed by sentient beings during the intermediate state between death and rebirth. Gandharvas are said to live on fragrances (gandha) in the desire realm, hence the Tibetan translation dri za, meaning “scent eater.”
In Indian mythology, the garuḍa is an eagle-like bird that is regarded as the king of all birds, normally depicted with a sharp, owl-like beak, often holding a snake, and with large and powerful wings. They are traditionally enemies of the nāgas. In the Vedas, they are said to have brought nectar from the heavens to earth. Garuḍa can also be used as a proper name for a king of such creatures.
Name of Buddha Śākyamuni in a past life, when he was a merchant practicing bodhisattva conduct.
One of the eight hot hells.
Name of Buddha Śākyamuni in a past life, when he was a prince practicing bodhisattva conduct.
The second lowest of the six heavens of the desire realm, located on top of Mount Sumeru in the Buddhist cosmology.
One of the eight hot hells.
One of the eight hot hells.
One of the twelve branches of Buddhist scriptures.
A king who lived in the past.
A grove or forest within the Veṇuvana near Rājagṛha, where Buddha Śākyamuni spent several monsoon retreats and delivered many Great Vehicle teachings. In other texts it is known as the Kalandakanivāsa or °nivāpa, the dwelling place or feeding ground of kalandaka—crows or other birds according to Tibetan renderings, but some Sanskrit and Pali sources suggest flying squirrels.
One of the members of a group of four monks described in the Vinaya as followers of Devadatta that attempted to create a schism in the Buddhist saṅgha.
’phags pa gang pos zhus pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo (Pūrṇaparipṛcchāsūtra). Toh 61, Degé Kangyur vol. 42 (dkon brtsegs, nga), folios 168b.1–227a.6.
’phags pa gang pos zhus pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–2009, vol. 42, pp. 168b.1–227a.6.
’phags pa gang pos zhus pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo. Stok Palace Kangyur (stog pho brang bris ma bka’ ’gyur). Vol. 38 (dkon brtsegs, nga), folios 319v–411v.
富樓那會(Fu lou na hui). Taishō shinshū daizōkyō (大正新脩大藏經). Vol. 11, 310 (大寶積經), scrolls 77–79.
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In Veṇuvana, outside Rājagṛha, Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra asks the Buddha about the conduct of bodhisattvas practicing on the path to awakening. The Buddha replies by describing the attitudes that bodhisattvas must possess as well as their benefits. Then, at the request of Maudgalyāyana, the Buddha recounts several of his past lives in which he himself practiced bodhisattva conduct. At the end of the teaching, the Buddha instructs the assembly about how to deal with specific objections to his teachings that outsiders might raise after he himself has passed into nirvāṇa.
Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. Benjamin Collet-Cassart and Nika Jovic translated the text from Tibetan into English and wrote the introduction. James Gentry then compared the translation with Kumārajīva’s Chinese translation. Finally, Andreas Doctor compared the draft translation with the original Tibetan and edited the text. Ryan Damron and Thomas Doctor also helped resolve several difficult passages.
This translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
Work on this text would not have been possible without the generous sponsorship of 王学文 and 马国凤, which is most gratefully acknowledged.
The Questions of Pūrṇa is the seventeenth sūtra among the forty-nine titles included in The Heap of Jewels collection in the Degé Kangyur. Although traditional scholars have quoted this sūtra in a number of Tibetan writings, the text has to our knowledge received very little attention in modern scholarship. Only a few of the texts contained in The Heap of Jewels are extant in Sanskrit, and The Questions of Pūrṇa is unfortunately not among them. There is only one Chinese translation (Taishō 310–17), produced by the renowned translator Kumārajīva, (344–413
The Tibetan text has no translators’ colophon, but evidence suggests that, unlike most of the discourses translated into Tibetan during the early translation period, this text was most likely translated from Chinese, rather than from Sanskrit: Kumārajīva’s translation and the Tibetan are nearly identical in content and structure, and a number of apparently erroneous readings in the Tibetan text can be understood and resolved clearly when they are compared with the Chinese. Moreover, the Tibetan includes several transliterated names and terms that seem to be derived from the Chinese; and a few terms that appear in some of the Tibetan versions of this text are present almost exclusively in other discourses that are known explicitly to have been translated from the Chinese.
The Buddha’s main interlocutor in the sūtra is the monk Pūrṇa, as the title suggests. This is Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, a brahmin from Kapilavastu, ordained by his uncle Ājñātakauṇḍinya when the latter returned to Kapilavastu soon after the Buddha’s first teaching; he is one of six or more figures with the name Pūrṇa in the Buddhist discourses and is described as the foremost in explaining the doctrine. He is also regarded as one of the ten main disciples of the Buddha, especially noted for his eloquence. Pūrṇa sets the scene by asking questions related to bodhisattva conduct. Following his inquiry, the sūtra unfolds in eight chapters that address a variety of topics related to bodhisattva conduct, the first three at least being direct answers to Pūrṇa’s initial questions. It is noteworthy that throughout the text the Buddha’s only interlocutors as he teaches the bodhisattva path—Pūrṇa, Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Ānanda, and Elephant Trunk—are all hearer disciples and not bodhisattvas. While, throughout the text, great emphasis is placed on the importance of realizing the emptiness of phenomena and the view that does not dwell on anything, the conduct the Buddha teaches remains firmly anchored in renunciation, a monsatic lifestyle, and difficult ascetic practices.
Chapter 1 presents a teaching by the Buddha on the way that bodhisattvas can accomplish immeasurable awakened qualities after giving rise to the mind set on awakening. The Buddha lists several sets of spiritual qualities that bodhisattvas must accomplish in order to reach the awakened state. Chapter 2 is devoted to the question of developing a high level of erudition, which allows bodhisattvas to comprehend the definitive meaning of the Dharma. Chapter 3 describes how bodhisattvas can make their progress toward awakening irreversible if they can study, contemplate, and practice previously unknown Dharma teachings with an open mind, rather than automatically discarding them as non-Dharma. Chapter 4 presents further sets of spiritual qualities that bodhisattvas must cultivate in order to obtain sufficient roots of virtue, emphasizing in particular the practice of patience in the face of adversity and hostility. Here the Buddha also narrates a story from one of his previous lives as inspiration for practice, and the narrative includes a pointed description of how biased attitudes can cause sectarian distrust even between followers of the very same lineage taught to different generations.
In Chapter 5 the Buddha displays his miraculous powers to the assembly by projecting light from his body; all those who witness this miraculous display become attracted to the Dharma and aspire to achieve perfect awakening. The Buddha entrusts this teaching to Ānanda, emphasizing its importance for the future and seeming to put it on a parallel, as a text of the Bodhisattva Collection, to his very first teaching in Sarnath. Chapter 6 begins with Mahāmaudgalyāyana, another of the Buddha’s closest disciples, requesting a teaching on how the Buddha practiced bodhisattva conduct in the past. The Buddha recounts several stories from his past lives, describing in detail the hardships he had to undergo for the sake of beings. Chapter 7 introduces advice by the Buddha on how to deal with particular controversies the monks might be faced with after he himself has passed away. Using various arguments to counter the accusations of future adversaries, the Buddha explains how to respond to such controversies. This entire chapter is devoted to the defense of the thought and practice of the Great Vehicle against the objections of orthodox Buddhists, who argued that texts like this one were not authentic Buddhist scriptures. That this text addresses such issues directly suggests that it may have first appeared in writing at a time when the Bodhisattva Vehicle was still controversial and had not yet been widely adopted. Lastly, in Chapter 8 Pūrṇa praises the Buddha’s teaching and makes a commitment to follow the path of the Great Vehicle himself, in order to liberate all beings from suffering.
[B1] Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas!
Thus did I hear at one time: The Blessed One was residing at the Veṇuvana in Rājagṛha, together with a great saṅgha of many monks and with countless bodhisattva great beings. At that time, the venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra arose, draped his shawl over one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. With his palms joined together in the direction of the Blessed One he said, “Blessed One, I have a few questions to ask you. Thus-Gone One, please consider me with love and grant me this request.”
“Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra,” replied the Blessed One, “ask me whatever you wish. I will instruct you genuinely and satisfy your mind.”
“Blessed One,” said the venerable Pūrṇa, “I have questions about the bodhisattva great beings who have accomplished the highest qualities and attained superior and far-reaching renown, and who pursue the happiness of sentient beings at all times.” And the venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra then put his questions in these verses:
“Blessed One,” continued Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, “I have questions about these holy beings. How do bodhisattvas amass great knowledge, such that it will not be exhausted, like the ocean? Having amassed a precious treasure of erudition, how is it that, by comprehending the meaning that is definitive with regard to all phenomena, they correctly penetrate the meaning of words?” He then spoke again in verse:
“Blessed One,” continued the venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, “I have another question for the Thus-Gone One about the force of the wisdom that follows from the attainment of the bodhisattva levels. How is it that bodhisattva great beings’ progress toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening will be irreversible?” He then went on in verse:
“Blessed One,” continued the venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, “the thus-gone ones have reached perfect omniscience. They have mastered all miraculous powers and are the supreme beings within the three realms. Having achieved incomparable, sublime wisdom, they know how to put the Dharma into action in an unhindered manner. These are the reasons why I ask you these questions.” He again spoke in verse:
In response, the Blessed One said to the venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, “These questions you ask of the Thus-Gone One are excellent, excellent! Listen carefully and pay attention. I will now teach you how bodhisattvas give rise to their intention and then accomplish the immeasurable qualities of a buddha.” The Blessed One then uttered these verses:
The Blessed One then said to the venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, “Through these different causes and conditions, bodhisattva great beings teach the Dharma to sentient beings; yet they do not dwell on just some Dharma teachings. Why is that? Because it is after having correctly trained in all Dharma teachings that bodhisattvas will later become perfect buddhas.
“Bodhisattvas have four amazing and marvelous attitudes, compared to which they see no other Dharma teaching as more important. What are the four? (1) That which makes bodhisattvas cultivate diligence with regard to lazy beings; this is the first amazing and marvelous attitude. (2) That which makes them cultivate patience while they are among obstinate sentient beings full of aggression; this is the second amazing and marvelous attitude. (3) That which makes them persevere on the correct path themselves, seeing sentient beings practicing on mistaken paths; this is the third amazing and marvelous attitude. (4) That which makes them give rise to the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening with the extraordinary resolve to liberate sentient beings from saṃsāra; this is the fourth amazing and marvelous attitude. Pūrṇa, these four amazing and marvelous attitudes are known as the supreme, amazing, and marvelous attitudes of bodhisattvas.” At that moment, the Blessed One uttered these verses:
“Pūrṇa,” continued the Blessed One, “if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, joy will be born in their minds. What are the four? (1) When bodhisattvas see that sentient beings remain in saṃsāra and do not cultivate diligence, but see that they themselves remain on the path of the buddhas and do cultivate diligence, joy will be born in their minds. (2) When bodhisattvas see that sentient beings are constantly overwhelmed by laziness, but they see that they themselves diligently follow the teachings of the buddhas, joy will be born in their minds. (3) When bodhisattvas see that sentient beings are aggressive, resentful, and jealous, yet they see that they themselves are free from aggression, resentment, and jealousy and always manifest an attitude of love, joy will be born in their minds. (4) When bodhisattvas see that no one matches their diligence in accomplishing the qualities of the buddhas, joy will be born in their minds.”
At that moment, the Blessed One uttered these verses:
“Pūrṇa,” continued the Blessed One, “if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will be free from the unfree states, and having obtained the complete freedom to do so they will attain the qualities of a buddha without wasting that opportunity. What are the four? (1) Since the minds of bodhisattvas are humble and gentle, they always express the wish for sentient beings to be happy when they see them, and they always speak sincerely and smile while engaging in conversation with someone. (2) Since bodhisattvas pursue the Dharma one-pointedly and are always strongly dedicated to investigating it, they insatiably pursue virtue and exert themselves toward it. (3) Bodhisattvas are attracted to isolated places and enjoy remaining in solitude. (4) Bodhisattvas follow the path of awakening and encourage others to follow the same path. If bodhisattvas possess these four qualities, they will be free from the states that lack freedom, and having obtained the complete freedom to do so they will attain the qualities of a buddha without wasting that opportunity.” At that moment, the Blessed One uttered these verses:
This was the first chapter, The Conduct of Bodhisattvas.
“Pūrṇa,” continued the Blessed One, “if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will amass great knowledge, such that it will not be exhausted, like the ocean. Constantly amassing a precious treasure of erudition, they will—by comprehending the meaning that is definitive with regard to phenomena—correctly penetrate the meaning of words. What are the four?
“(1) Since bodhisattvas pursue the Dharma, they pursue the twelve branches of the scriptures. These are the discourses, hymns and praises, prophecies, verses, aphorisms, narratives, former events, former births, extensive teachings, marvels, biographies, and profound doctrines. Upon receiving these teachings, bodhisattvas read them, recite them, and properly recollect them. After that, they practice these teachings in accordance with the way they are taught. Pūrṇa, if bodhisattvas possess this first quality, they will amass great knowledge, such that it will not be exhausted, like the ocean. Constantly amassing a precious treasure of erudition, they will—by comprehending the meaning that is definitive with regard to phenomena—correctly penetrate the meaning of words.
“Furthermore, Pūrṇa, (2) bodhisattvas do not dwell on any phenomenon, so there will be nothing for them to fixate upon, even while resting in concentration or absorption. Free from fixation, they will attain the wisdom that does not dwell on any phenomenon, thereby reaching unimpeded wisdom vision with respect to phenomena. Why is it so? Because, Pūrṇa, these bodhisattvas are free from desire and from any other form of impediment. If bodhisattvas possess this second quality, they will amass great knowledge, such that it will not be exhausted, like the ocean. Constantly amassing a precious treasure of erudition, they will—by comprehending the meaning that is definitive with regard to phenomena—correctly penetrate the meaning of words.
“Furthermore, Pūrṇa, (3) bodhisattvas recollect the Buddha in terms of the causes and conditions of pursuing the Dharma, and they recollect the Buddha’s teachings as well. When bodhisattvas thus recollect the Buddha in terms of the causes and conditions of pursuing the Dharma, and they recollect the Buddha’s teachings as well, they do not perceive any phenomenon to which they could be attached. Because they are free from attachment, their minds do not cling to any phenomenon. Hence, because they are free of clinging to any phenomenon, they will be able to answer questions without any hindrances. If bodhisattvas possess this third quality, they will amass great knowledge, such that it will not be exhausted, like the ocean. Constantly amassing a precious treasure of erudition, they will—by comprehending the meaning that is definitive with regard to phenomena—correctly penetrate the meaning of words.
“Furthermore, Pūrṇa, (4) bodhisattvas who have perfected the attitude of love free of apprehending will not be hindered in their actions, since love free of apprehending does not hold on to anything. Why is it so? Because, Pūrṇa, dwelling on marks generates attachment, anger, and ignorance. Dwelling on the marks of entities, the marks of material substances, the marks of the aggregates, the marks of the sense sources, the marks of the elements, the marks of the Dharma, or the marks of the non-Dharma also generates attachment, anger, and ignorance. Therefore, Pūrṇa, all those views that involve clinging to marks are known as wrong views. Bodhisattvas cultivate love in order to be at peace from all those marks. They think, ‘Since sentient beings and marks will perish, entities will also perish. Since entities will perish, views will also perish.’ In this way, bodhisattvas then cultivate love as everything perishes. This love is known as love free of apprehending. This love free of apprehending is known as love of the Dharma. This love of the Dharma is known as love of the Buddha. Pūrṇa, what is the love of the Buddha? The absence of formation and disintegration is what is implied by the words love of the Buddha. Furthermore, Pūrṇa, the complete realization of all phenomena as they really are is also what is meant by the words love of the Buddha.”
“Blessed One,” asked Pūrṇa, “what is meant by the complete realization of all phenomena as they really are?”
“Pūrṇa,” replied the Blessed One, “this complete realization does not involve conceptualization such as, ‘this is the Dharma’ or ‘this is not the Dharma.’ Why is that so? Because, Pūrṇa, if someone says, ‘the Dharma exists,’ that would be non-Dharma, and if that person says ‘the Dharma is nonexistent,’ the non-Dharma would not exist either. Therefore, this realization is free from conceptual constructs. This absence of conceptual constructs is called nirvāṇa. Once you have investigated in that way, do you find that it is something very far away, or instead something very close?”
“It is neither far nor close,” answered Pūrṇa. “Why is it so? Blessed One, because it has no sides, it does not abide anywhere, and it has no inside or outside.”
“Pūrṇa,” said the Blessed One, “that is how you should regard phenomena.”
“Blessed One,” asked Pūrṇa, “what kind of phenomenon should I regard in that way?”
“Pūrṇa, it is said that the thus-gone ones do not apprehend, create, or manifest those phenomena that immature ordinary beings so strongly cling to. So not conceptualizing such phenomena is called assessing them. Pūrṇa, since such assessments of phenomena are free from differentiation, I will now explain to you the sublime, supreme Dharma of disengagement, which subsumes the path to buddhahood.
“Pūrṇa, in the future, if those who cling to worldly gains hear this discourse, they will not be motivated to listen to its teachings or to adopt it. Pūrṇa, when I say, ‘I am awakened,’ you understand these words only partially, from the mere perspective of words and concepts, but you are unable to grasp their actual meaning. This meaning is extremely profound; it cannot be expressed by words. Instead, it is known only by the wise ones themselves.” At that moment, the Blessed One uttered these verses:
“Pūrṇa, if bodhisattvas possess this fourth quality, they will amass great knowledge, such that it will not be exhausted, like the ocean. Constantly amassing a precious treasure of erudition, they will—by comprehending the meaning that is definitive with regard to phenomena—correctly penetrate the meaning of words.” At that moment, the Blessed One uttered these verses:
This was the second chapter, Erudition.
“Pūrṇa,” said the Blessed One, “if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, their progress toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening will be irreversible. What are the four?
“(1) If bodhisattvas hear a Dharma teaching they have not heard before, rather than saying, ‘This is not the Dharma’ they should reflect on it in terms of its meaning. If bodhisattvas possess this first quality, their progress toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening will be irreversible.”
At that moment, the Blessed One uttered these verses:
In Veṇuvana, outside Rājagṛha, Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra asks the Buddha about the conduct of bodhisattvas practicing on the path to awakening. The Buddha replies by describing the attitudes that bodhisattvas must possess as well as their benefits. Then, at the request of Maudgalyāyana, the Buddha recounts several of his past lives in which he himself practiced bodhisattva conduct. At the end of the teaching, the Buddha instructs the assembly about how to deal with specific objections to his teachings that outsiders might raise after he himself has passed into nirvāṇa.
Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. Benjamin Collet-Cassart and Nika Jovic translated the text from Tibetan into English and wrote the introduction. James Gentry then compared the translation with Kumārajīva’s Chinese translation. Finally, Andreas Doctor compared the draft translation with the original Tibetan and edited the text. Ryan Damron and Thomas Doctor also helped resolve several difficult passages.
This translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
Work on this text would not have been possible without the generous sponsorship of 王学文 and 马国凤, which is most gratefully acknowledged.
The Questions of Pūrṇa is the seventeenth sūtra among the forty-nine titles included in The Heap of Jewels collection in the Degé Kangyur. Although traditional scholars have quoted this sūtra in a number of Tibetan writings, the text has to our knowledge received very little attention in modern scholarship. Only a few of the texts contained in The Heap of Jewels are extant in Sanskrit, and The Questions of Pūrṇa is unfortunately not among them. There is only one Chinese translation (Taishō 310–17), produced by the renowned translator Kumārajīva, (344–413
The Tibetan text has no translators’ colophon, but evidence suggests that, unlike most of the discourses translated into Tibetan during the early translation period, this text was most likely translated from Chinese, rather than from Sanskrit: Kumārajīva’s translation and the Tibetan are nearly identical in content and structure, and a number of apparently erroneous readings in the Tibetan text can be understood and resolved clearly when they are compared with the Chinese. Moreover, the Tibetan includes several transliterated names and terms that seem to be derived from the Chinese; and a few terms that appear in some of the Tibetan versions of this text are present almost exclusively in other discourses that are known explicitly to have been translated from the Chinese.
The Buddha’s main interlocutor in the sūtra is the monk Pūrṇa, as the title suggests. This is Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, a brahmin from Kapilavastu, ordained by his uncle Ājñātakauṇḍinya when the latter returned to Kapilavastu soon after the Buddha’s first teaching; he is one of six or more figures with the name Pūrṇa in the Buddhist discourses and is described as the foremost in explaining the doctrine. He is also regarded as one of the ten main disciples of the Buddha, especially noted for his eloquence. Pūrṇa sets the scene by asking questions related to bodhisattva conduct. Following his inquiry, the sūtra unfolds in eight chapters that address a variety of topics related to bodhisattva conduct, the first three at least being direct answers to Pūrṇa’s initial questions. It is noteworthy that throughout the text the Buddha’s only interlocutors as he teaches the bodhisattva path—Pūrṇa, Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Ānanda, and Elephant Trunk—are all hearer disciples and not bodhisattvas. While, throughout the text, great emphasis is placed on the importance of realizing the emptiness of phenomena and the view that does not dwell on anything, the conduct the Buddha teaches remains firmly anchored in renunciation, a monsatic lifestyle, and difficult ascetic practices.
Chapter 1 presents a teaching by the Buddha on the way that bodhisattvas can accomplish immeasurable awakened qualities after giving rise to the mind set on awakening. The Buddha lists several sets of spiritual qualities that bodhisattvas must accomplish in order to reach the awakened state. Chapter 2 is devoted to the question of developing a high level of erudition, which allows bodhisattvas to comprehend the definitive meaning of the Dharma. Chapter 3 describes how bodhisattvas can make their progress toward awakening irreversible if they can study, contemplate, and practice previously unknown Dharma teachings with an open mind, rather than automatically discarding them as non-Dharma. Chapter 4 presents further sets of spiritual qualities that bodhisattvas must cultivate in order to obtain sufficient roots of virtue, emphasizing in particular the practice of patience in the face of adversity and hostility. Here the Buddha also narrates a story from one of his previous lives as inspiration for practice, and the narrative includes a pointed description of how biased attitudes can cause sectarian distrust even between followers of the very same lineage taught to different generations.
In Chapter 5 the Buddha displays his miraculous powers to the assembly by projecting light from his body; all those who witness this miraculous display become attracted to the Dharma and aspire to achieve perfect awakening. The Buddha entrusts this teaching to Ānanda, emphasizing its importance for the future and seeming to put it on a parallel, as a text of the Bodhisattva Collection, to his very first teaching in Sarnath. Chapter 6 begins with Mahāmaudgalyāyana, another of the Buddha’s closest disciples, requesting a teaching on how the Buddha practiced bodhisattva conduct in the past. The Buddha recounts several stories from his past lives, describing in detail the hardships he had to undergo for the sake of beings. Chapter 7 introduces advice by the Buddha on how to deal with particular controversies the monks might be faced with after he himself has passed away. Using various arguments to counter the accusations of future adversaries, the Buddha explains how to respond to such controversies. This entire chapter is devoted to the defense of the thought and practice of the Great Vehicle against the objections of orthodox Buddhists, who argued that texts like this one were not authentic Buddhist scriptures. That this text addresses such issues directly suggests that it may have first appeared in writing at a time when the Bodhisattva Vehicle was still controversial and had not yet been widely adopted. Lastly, in Chapter 8 Pūrṇa praises the Buddha’s teaching and makes a commitment to follow the path of the Great Vehicle himself, in order to liberate all beings from suffering.
[B1] Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas!
Thus did I hear at one time: The Blessed One was residing at the Veṇuvana in Rājagṛha, together with a great saṅgha of many monks and with countless bodhisattva great beings. At that time, the venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra arose, draped his shawl over one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. With his palms joined together in the direction of the Blessed One he said, “Blessed One, I have a few questions to ask you. Thus-Gone One, please consider me with love and grant me this request.”
“Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra,” replied the Blessed One, “ask me whatever you wish. I will instruct you genuinely and satisfy your mind.”
“Blessed One,” said the venerable Pūrṇa, “I have questions about the bodhisattva great beings who have accomplished the highest qualities and attained superior and far-reaching renown, and who pursue the happiness of sentient beings at all times.” And the venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra then put his questions in these verses:
“Blessed One,” continued Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, “I have questions about these holy beings. How do bodhisattvas amass great knowledge, such that it will not be exhausted, like the ocean? Having amassed a precious treasure of erudition, how is it that, by comprehending the meaning that is definitive with regard to all phenomena, they correctly penetrate the meaning of words?” He then spoke again in verse:
“Blessed One,” continued the venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, “I have another question for the Thus-Gone One about the force of the wisdom that follows from the attainment of the bodhisattva levels. How is it that bodhisattva great beings’ progress toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening will be irreversible?” He then went on in verse:
“Blessed One,” continued the venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, “the thus-gone ones have reached perfect omniscience. They have mastered all miraculous powers and are the supreme beings within the three realms. Having achieved incomparable, sublime wisdom, they know how to put the Dharma into action in an unhindered manner. These are the reasons why I ask you these questions.” He again spoke in verse:
In response, the Blessed One said to the venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, “These questions you ask of the Thus-Gone One are excellent, excellent! Listen carefully and pay attention. I will now teach you how bodhisattvas give rise to their intention and then accomplish the immeasurable qualities of a buddha.” The Blessed One then uttered these verses:
The Blessed One then said to the venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, “Through these different causes and conditions, bodhisattva great beings teach the Dharma to sentient beings; yet they do not dwell on just some Dharma teachings. Why is that? Because it is after having correctly trained in all Dharma teachings that bodhisattvas will later become perfect buddhas.
“Bodhisattvas have four amazing and marvelous attitudes, compared to which they see no other Dharma teaching as more important. What are the four? (1) That which makes bodhisattvas cultivate diligence with regard to lazy beings; this is the first amazing and marvelous attitude. (2) That which makes them cultivate patience while they are among obstinate sentient beings full of aggression; this is the second amazing and marvelous attitude. (3) That which makes them persevere on the correct path themselves, seeing sentient beings practicing on mistaken paths; this is the third amazing and marvelous attitude. (4) That which makes them give rise to the mind set on unsurpassed and perfect awakening with the extraordinary resolve to liberate sentient beings from saṃsāra; this is the fourth amazing and marvelous attitude. Pūrṇa, these four amazing and marvelous attitudes are known as the supreme, amazing, and marvelous attitudes of bodhisattvas.” At that moment, the Blessed One uttered these verses:
“Pūrṇa,” continued the Blessed One, “if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, joy will be born in their minds. What are the four? (1) When bodhisattvas see that sentient beings remain in saṃsāra and do not cultivate diligence, but see that they themselves remain on the path of the buddhas and do cultivate diligence, joy will be born in their minds. (2) When bodhisattvas see that sentient beings are constantly overwhelmed by laziness, but they see that they themselves diligently follow the teachings of the buddhas, joy will be born in their minds. (3) When bodhisattvas see that sentient beings are aggressive, resentful, and jealous, yet they see that they themselves are free from aggression, resentment, and jealousy and always manifest an attitude of love, joy will be born in their minds. (4) When bodhisattvas see that no one matches their diligence in accomplishing the qualities of the buddhas, joy will be born in their minds.”
At that moment, the Blessed One uttered these verses:
“Pūrṇa,” continued the Blessed One, “if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will be free from the unfree states, and having obtained the complete freedom to do so they will attain the qualities of a buddha without wasting that opportunity. What are the four? (1) Since the minds of bodhisattvas are humble and gentle, they always express the wish for sentient beings to be happy when they see them, and they always speak sincerely and smile while engaging in conversation with someone. (2) Since bodhisattvas pursue the Dharma one-pointedly and are always strongly dedicated to investigating it, they insatiably pursue virtue and exert themselves toward it. (3) Bodhisattvas are attracted to isolated places and enjoy remaining in solitude. (4) Bodhisattvas follow the path of awakening and encourage others to follow the same path. If bodhisattvas possess these four qualities, they will be free from the states that lack freedom, and having obtained the complete freedom to do so they will attain the qualities of a buddha without wasting that opportunity.” At that moment, the Blessed One uttered these verses:
This was the first chapter, The Conduct of Bodhisattvas.
“Pūrṇa,” continued the Blessed One, “if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, they will amass great knowledge, such that it will not be exhausted, like the ocean. Constantly amassing a precious treasure of erudition, they will—by comprehending the meaning that is definitive with regard to phenomena—correctly penetrate the meaning of words. What are the four?
“(1) Since bodhisattvas pursue the Dharma, they pursue the twelve branches of the scriptures. These are the discourses, hymns and praises, prophecies, verses, aphorisms, narratives, former events, former births, extensive teachings, marvels, biographies, and profound doctrines. Upon receiving these teachings, bodhisattvas read them, recite them, and properly recollect them. After that, they practice these teachings in accordance with the way they are taught. Pūrṇa, if bodhisattvas possess this first quality, they will amass great knowledge, such that it will not be exhausted, like the ocean. Constantly amassing a precious treasure of erudition, they will—by comprehending the meaning that is definitive with regard to phenomena—correctly penetrate the meaning of words.
“Furthermore, Pūrṇa, (2) bodhisattvas do not dwell on any phenomenon, so there will be nothing for them to fixate upon, even while resting in concentration or absorption. Free from fixation, they will attain the wisdom that does not dwell on any phenomenon, thereby reaching unimpeded wisdom vision with respect to phenomena. Why is it so? Because, Pūrṇa, these bodhisattvas are free from desire and from any other form of impediment. If bodhisattvas possess this second quality, they will amass great knowledge, such that it will not be exhausted, like the ocean. Constantly amassing a precious treasure of erudition, they will—by comprehending the meaning that is definitive with regard to phenomena—correctly penetrate the meaning of words.
“Furthermore, Pūrṇa, (3) bodhisattvas recollect the Buddha in terms of the causes and conditions of pursuing the Dharma, and they recollect the Buddha’s teachings as well. When bodhisattvas thus recollect the Buddha in terms of the causes and conditions of pursuing the Dharma, and they recollect the Buddha’s teachings as well, they do not perceive any phenomenon to which they could be attached. Because they are free from attachment, their minds do not cling to any phenomenon. Hence, because they are free of clinging to any phenomenon, they will be able to answer questions without any hindrances. If bodhisattvas possess this third quality, they will amass great knowledge, such that it will not be exhausted, like the ocean. Constantly amassing a precious treasure of erudition, they will—by comprehending the meaning that is definitive with regard to phenomena—correctly penetrate the meaning of words.
“Furthermore, Pūrṇa, (4) bodhisattvas who have perfected the attitude of love free of apprehending will not be hindered in their actions, since love free of apprehending does not hold on to anything. Why is it so? Because, Pūrṇa, dwelling on marks generates attachment, anger, and ignorance. Dwelling on the marks of entities, the marks of material substances, the marks of the aggregates, the marks of the sense sources, the marks of the elements, the marks of the Dharma, or the marks of the non-Dharma also generates attachment, anger, and ignorance. Therefore, Pūrṇa, all those views that involve clinging to marks are known as wrong views. Bodhisattvas cultivate love in order to be at peace from all those marks. They think, ‘Since sentient beings and marks will perish, entities will also perish. Since entities will perish, views will also perish.’ In this way, bodhisattvas then cultivate love as everything perishes. This love is known as love free of apprehending. This love free of apprehending is known as love of the Dharma. This love of the Dharma is known as love of the Buddha. Pūrṇa, what is the love of the Buddha? The absence of formation and disintegration is what is implied by the words love of the Buddha. Furthermore, Pūrṇa, the complete realization of all phenomena as they really are is also what is meant by the words love of the Buddha.”
“Blessed One,” asked Pūrṇa, “what is meant by the complete realization of all phenomena as they really are?”
“Pūrṇa,” replied the Blessed One, “this complete realization does not involve conceptualization such as, ‘this is the Dharma’ or ‘this is not the Dharma.’ Why is that so? Because, Pūrṇa, if someone says, ‘the Dharma exists,’ that would be non-Dharma, and if that person says ‘the Dharma is nonexistent,’ the non-Dharma would not exist either. Therefore, this realization is free from conceptual constructs. This absence of conceptual constructs is called nirvāṇa. Once you have investigated in that way, do you find that it is something very far away, or instead something very close?”
“It is neither far nor close,” answered Pūrṇa. “Why is it so? Blessed One, because it has no sides, it does not abide anywhere, and it has no inside or outside.”
“Pūrṇa,” said the Blessed One, “that is how you should regard phenomena.”
“Blessed One,” asked Pūrṇa, “what kind of phenomenon should I regard in that way?”
“Pūrṇa, it is said that the thus-gone ones do not apprehend, create, or manifest those phenomena that immature ordinary beings so strongly cling to. So not conceptualizing such phenomena is called assessing them. Pūrṇa, since such assessments of phenomena are free from differentiation, I will now explain to you the sublime, supreme Dharma of disengagement, which subsumes the path to buddhahood.
“Pūrṇa, in the future, if those who cling to worldly gains hear this discourse, they will not be motivated to listen to its teachings or to adopt it. Pūrṇa, when I say, ‘I am awakened,’ you understand these words only partially, from the mere perspective of words and concepts, but you are unable to grasp their actual meaning. This meaning is extremely profound; it cannot be expressed by words. Instead, it is known only by the wise ones themselves.” At that moment, the Blessed One uttered these verses:
“Pūrṇa, if bodhisattvas possess this fourth quality, they will amass great knowledge, such that it will not be exhausted, like the ocean. Constantly amassing a precious treasure of erudition, they will—by comprehending the meaning that is definitive with regard to phenomena—correctly penetrate the meaning of words.” At that moment, the Blessed One uttered these verses:
This was the second chapter, Erudition.
“Pūrṇa,” said the Blessed One, “if bodhisattvas possess four qualities, their progress toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening will be irreversible. What are the four?
“(1) If bodhisattvas hear a Dharma teaching they have not heard before, rather than saying, ‘This is not the Dharma’ they should reflect on it in terms of its meaning. If bodhisattvas possess this first quality, their progress toward unsurpassed and perfect awakening will be irreversible.”
At that moment, the Blessed One uttered these verses: